BREAKER II Ice-Breaking Tug Delivered to New York Power Authority
The BREAKER II was recently delivered to the New York Power Authority (NYPA) in Buffalo, New York. Bristol Harbor Group, Inc. (BHGI) was selected by NYPA through a competitive bidding process to design and oversee construction of two (2) new tug vessels. The first tug, the JONCAIRE II, has already been built, delivered, and is currently in service. BHGI developed and revised the BREAKER II specifications and bid drawing package in close collaboration with the operators, including significant detailed system design to provide improved ergonomics for the crew. The BREAKER II was built at Blount Boats in Warren, RI where BHGI provided construction oversight services on behalf of NYPA and visited the yard on a weekly basis, as it is only ten minutes away from the BHGI office.
The BREAKER II is an ice-strengthened, twin-screw towing vessel, inspected and certificated to the standards of U.S. Coast Guard Subchapter M. Its primary purpose is to install, retrieve, and maintain the Lake Erie – Niagara River Ice Boom, deployed in the winter at the mouth of the Niagara River. The Ice Boom is intended to minimize the amount of ice entering the upper Niagara in order to decrease ice blockages downstream that could damage shore structures, flood low lying areas, or obstruct flow into the intakes of NYPA's U.S. or Ontario Power's Canadian hydroelectric plant intakes. The BREAKER II is also designed to act as a capable substitute for NYPA's primary icebreaker in the basin just above Niagara Falls, with heavy scantlings and reinforcement for ice breaking, 360-degree visibility from the pilothouse, shallow operating draft to permit breaking ice within the shallow basin at the intakes, and with sufficient power and maneuverability to efficiently operate in the swift currents encountered in the Upper Niagara.
“It has been a pleasure working with NYPA on the BREAKER II and we look forward to seeing her ply the Great Lakes for decades to come.”
The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.